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Simply Perfect

Overrated and overhyped

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Ben Mankiewicz, in his introduction to "Send Me No Flowers," mentioned some big screen teams and then said, "And some would add Rock Hudson and Doris Day." Some? They were huge box office. And they show why they were in this very funny film, which also stars Tony Randall, with Paul Lynde.Hudson plays George Pemberton Kimball, a hypochondriac, who goes to the doctor constantly expecting the worst. Unfortunately, there's nothing wrong with him. While he's in the office, the doctor receives a call about someone with a bad heart condition who isn't going to make it. Standing nearby, George assumes that it's about him and nearly breaks down. He doesn't tell his wife Judy (Day), but he does tell his neighbor Arnold (Randall), turning him into an instant, sobbing alcoholic.George picks out a cemetery plot with the encouragement of the cemetery salesperson, Mr. Akins (a hilarious performance by Lynde), and then turns to the business of finding a new husband for Judy. As he emphasizes to Arnold, however, this is only for companionship.Then Judy runs into an old sweetheart (Clint Walker), a suitable replacement. Miscommunications and misunderstandings abound.Hudson and Day had great chemistry - Hudson said they made three movies and could never look directly at one another because they couldn't stop laughing. It's a shame they didn't make more films together, but the right script didn't come along. Randall is perfect as he writes George's eulogy and crosses out lines like "loyal friend," whenever George says something to him. The three of them together were dynamite.For their first film, Pillow Talk, Day said to Hudson, who had not done comedy before, "You don't have to worry. It's pretty funny." It was. They all were.

Believing that he has only a few weeks to live, a hypochondriac tries to find a suitable second husband for his wife in the third teaming of Hudson, Day, and Randall. Hudson is hilarious as the hypochondriac with a full medicine cabinet who, through a misunderstanding, thinks his days are numbered. Day is his understanding wife. Randall is Hudson's neighbor, who takes to drinking and writing a eulogy upon learning that his good buddy is dying. Arnold plays Hudson's doctor and Walker is the beefcake that Hudson decides should succeed him. After a funny beginning, the film loses some of its steam but manages to stay entertaining for the most part.

Three stars out of ten.There's some funny material here, but some actions are just plain arbitrary. Towards the climax, Doris Day is leaving Rock Hudson and goes to the train station, but changes her mind and decides not to buy a ticket. After arguing with her husband, she gets upset and goes home to pack! Huh? Why wouldn't she have brought her luggage with her when she was getting ready to leave??I really think the earlier scripts written by Stanley Shapiro were better stories.The opening scenes of advertisements for remedies playing while Rock Hudson turned in his sleep was funny enough.Every time Doris Day looks in the medicine cabinet or otherwise deals with his pills, there's a little sound effect that plays. I found it rather distracting, like something from an annoying children's movie.Tony Randall has the best jokes, especially while he's working on the eulogy.

How can you not enjoy a treat like this. In the grubby angst-filled world we live in it's a delight to escape for a while into the sugar-coated planet where Doris and Rock have their adventures. This is a cracker and sees both of them, and Tony Randall, on top form. It's a film with a proper plot, plenty of great comedic moments and even a bit of pathos to keep the brain ticking.Paul Lynde's brief part is a cracker, as always, and throughout you know the final result of the plot twists but are never sure of the route you'll be taken on to get to the inevitable happy ending. All just as it should be. As an experiment, watch this after Bad Santa and tell me which is the disgraceful, grubby and shameful world and which is the one we should aspire to.Bottom line....a delight on planet Doris